UPDATE: Oil Spill at Indian Point: Entergy Responds

CORTLANDT, NY — New York State was notified Friday that an unspecified amount of petroleum leaked from a heat exchanger into the discharge canal at the Indian Point Nuclear Facility.

The spill did not reach the Hudson River and absorbent booms have been deployed to collect the petroleum sheen, state officials said. State Department of Environmental Conservation staff have been on site overseeing the clean-up. Officials did not know as of Friday night how much oil had been spilled.

"Indian Point staff identified an oil sheen in the plant's discharge canal this morning and have not detected any sheening in the Hudson River," Entergy officials said in a statement. "The substance is not radioactive, the plant is running safely and there is no impact on worker or public health or safety. A permanent protective boom in the discharge canal is designed to try to prevent oil from reaching the river. Contract environmental protection professionals have taken additional measures to mitigate against further migration. Engineers and plant operators are examining systems and components at the plant to identify the potential source. As part of its commitment to environmental protection, Indian Point officials are working with federal and state environmental protection officials, including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, to monitor the Hudson River and take any necessary actions to mitigate potential impacts to the river."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been trying for years to close the nuclear plant, toured the facility Friday evening and spoke to reporters about the petroleum leak.

"We're at Indian Point Power Plant. Earlier today there appears to have been a malfunction with one of the turbines and the cooling system of one of the turbines that was leaking oil," he said, according to a transcript from his office. "The DEC came and did a review of the situation. There is a remediation company that has done work to remediate any oil from leaking into the Hudson River, which we believe at this time has been successful. DEC is going to be back over the weekend to continue to check and monitor the situation.

"Obviously, when it comes to Indian Point, it is a situation that requires the highest level of care. This is a nuclear plant that is located near a very, very dense population. As a matter of fact, it is the nuclear plant that is located to the most dense population anywhere on the globe. God forbid there's an accident here, it would be a serious, serious situation.

"We have had a number of accidents of late. I spent yesterday in Hoboken, New Jersey, seeing the situation of the train accident there. I've been to Indian Point a number of times for situations – fires, leaks, et cetera. What's striking about Indian Point is one real problem could be one problem too many. The stakes are very, very high. That's why constant vigilance is required. That’s why, frankly, I like to make sure – in a situation like this – that the facts are as represented. Because, again, one mistake could be one mistake too many."

FURTHER READING:

• Problem Inside Indian Point 2 Reactor: Bad Bolts
• NRC Sending Radiation Specialist to Indian Point
• UPDATE: NRC to Re-Analyze Costs of an Accident at Indian Point
• NRC Eases a Testing Requirement at Indian Point
• UPDATE: Radioactive Water Leak at Indian Point
• Unplanned Reactor Shutdowns Bring More NRC Inspections
• NRC Issues Report on Indian Point 3 License Renewal
• NY Doubles Down on Indian Point Opposition